Adjustable lavatory for articulated beds



es, 5, EQSU R. R. FREUND 2,532,706

ADJUSTABLE LAVATORY FOR ARTICULATED BEDS Filed 001:. 11, 1946 l I 43 0 5) INVENTOR. 1, foafkr 7?, Evan/12 Patented Dec. 5, 1950 ADJUSTABLE LAVATORY FOR ARTICULATED BEDS Robert R. Freund, Mount Carmel, Ill.

Application October 11, 1946, Serial No. 702,841

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an articulated chair or bed structure suitable for invalid or hospital use and is a continuation-in-part of the copending application Serial No. 548,981, filed August 11, 1944, now Patent No. 2,498,736, granted February 28, 1950, and entitled Lavatory and Like Articulated Bed.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide such a bed structure with a fixture capable of multiple use and capable of use in a plurality of positions, depending upon the desired use and the bed section positioning, or capable of being positioned entirely out of the way whenever desired or required.

One chief feature of the invention resides in pivotally supporting a lavatory or like device upon a pivotally mounted back section of a structure recited above and for movement therewith and movement relative thereto and through power means controllable by the bed occupant or patient.

Another chief feature of the invention resides in providing upon a tiltable back section a head section and said sections being capable of conjoint movement, the head section also being capable of independent movement, the aforesaid sanitary device being suitably mounted with respect to both sections.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in the adjustable mounting of the fixture upon its immediate supports so that it may function as a reading or writing desk, among other uses.

Still another feature of the invention resides in means for locking the device with respect to its immediate supports in the relative adjusted tilted position.

A still further feature of the invention resides in limiting the adjustment or tilting of the aforesaid immediate supports in their tilting movement upon the tiltable back section.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an articulated bed. structure with sections disposed in chair position and including a tiltable head rest and a sanitary device, the sanitary device being disposed forwardly for toilet and make-up purposes.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same parts with sanitary device disposed overhead.

Fig. 3 is a substantially front elevation of the sanitary device and a waste connection for drainage purposes. 1

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the travel limit means associated with the pivotal connection between the back section and the sanitary device su porting arms.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings It indicates in general a frame which is of bed width and of a length appreciably less than bed length. At one end of the frame, near the upper portion thereof and within the confines thereof, there is pivoted a back section II. Thereon near the opposite end of the back section there is pivoted at l2 a head rest section I3, and suitable power means carried by the back rest section is connected to the head rest section for adjusting the relative position of the head section relative to the back section, such adjustment being from approximately 15 rearwardly or downwardly of the back section to 45 forwardly or upwardly of the back section, reference being had to the general plane thereof when vertical or horizontal respectively.

With the back section substantially horizontally disposed, the head section, when titled upwardly, forms an elevated head rest. With the back section horizontally disposed, and with the head section tilted downwardly 15 or thereabouts, the patients head will drop downwardly with respect to the body and thus examination of certain portions of the patients head is facilitated in this position.

Pivotally or rigidly connected within the frame section It aforesaid is a seat or thigh section It and pivotally connected as at I! to the outer forward end thereof is a leg section l8 and the same may be positioned as shown in chair position (see (Fig. 1) or may be horizontally disposed for bed formation depending upon patient positioning desired.

As shown in Fig.3 the seat section l6 includes a central aperture 19 and associated therewith is a suitable receptacle for sanitary purposes, same herein serving as a receptacle, not shown, for drainage or waste from the sanitary device presently to be described.

This sanitary device comprises a container 2!], generally rectangular in outline, and having any number of compartments therein, the central one of which (21) has a depending outlet 22 (see Fig. 3) connected to a flexible waste 23. This flexible waste 23 normally is bent back and associated with the clip 2 carried by the underside of the sanitary device 20, as shown by the dotted lines. This sanitary device includes additional compartments such as the end compartments 25 for sanitary accessories and other paraphernalia. Each has an independent friction latchable cover 25 hingedly connected as at 2'! to sanitary device 20. The central cover may mount a mirror 28 upon its inner face. Each of the covers includes the rail portion 29 and when the compartments are covered the topof the container serves as a table, a reading or writing sup port, or the like.

For sanitary purposes (see dotted lines in Fig.

ment 25 when the hose 35 is extended and thenozzle 36 positioned in the central compartment.

Obviously, a stopper for outlet 22 is provided-- Pivotally supported at each side of the device 26 is a tubular arm 38 and the latter terminates in a rotatable element 39 carried by the angular and inwardly directed end of the tube 38. A lock screw .40 isadapted to engage the member 38 and lock the. device thereto in the adjusted position.

Theother, end of each tube 38' terminates in a collarlii' with which associated a clamping screw 32; the latter being arranged to clamp the tube. 38. to red 13, which is pivoted at 4 3' upon the back section i! intermediatethe ends thereof.

Rigid with. the member, 44 is the rearward extension 45 and entendinginwardlytowards each otherare the arm portions-. 56 Which are connected by. the, U-shaped portion .G'l' which extends transverselyof the. back section and maintains proper spacing ofhthe arms for proper spacing thereof with respect to the sanitarydevice ends.

Each portion A includes another angular .ex-.

tension 58 andpivoted at 49"on the endthereof is a piston rod 53 which extends into cylinder 5L .Cylinder .5! carries apiston 52 carried by theoth'erend of the .rodfis. Within the cylinder 5|. and-dbetween (the. rod ,end thereof and. the piston52 andsurrounding the rod 5% is a spring 53.

The other end. of the cylinder 5! is pivotally supported .as at .M'f'upon an arm 55 of an extensiontfi. secured .to the .upper or outer corner of the back section I l. The springs 53 normally constrain. the pistons 52 'totheirposition as shown in Fig. ,1. Thus spring power is. utilized for, projecting the sanitarydevice forwardly and downwardly. This position .is limited by fluid pressure release to the desired degree. When the proper. position of .the device has been attained pressure release is cut off and fluid is trapped in the upper end of the cylinder in .the desired amount. It isnto be understood that the two lines to the two cylinders (one to each cylinder) are controlled by common means so that pressure fluid is supplied to the cylinders and exhausted therefrom equally Or the amounts trapped in each cylinder are equal.

When it is desired to elevate the device from the position shown in Fig. 1 to any position higher than that, up to and including the position shown in Fig. 2, pressure fluid is supplied to the head or upper end of the cylinders 5!,the pistons are forced downward and the springs 53 are compressed. This tilts the two arms counter-clockwise (see Figs. 1 and 2) until the desired position of the sanitary device is attained, whereupon further. pressure fluid supply is cut off'and fiuid pressure trapped therein.

Obviously, this action loads the springs 53 so that, upon release of the trapped pressure fiuicl,.

the springs become effective for device lowering or clockwise rotation to the extent permitted by fluid release.

It will be noted that the sanitary device may be adjustedat .4l42 away from its pivot 44 whenever desired or required, as when an extremely large .patient is occu'pyingthe bed, then in the chair position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noted that the central portion 44 of the arm structures carries a pin 59 and it will be observed in Fig. 4 that the same projects inwardly and. that the portion 44 constitutes a cap that has in aligned relation the members 45 and 43 suitably secured thereto as at 45a and 43a. This cap arrangement' mounts a central stud 60, the inner end of which is threaded as at 6|. Ila designates a portion of. the back section or more particularly the side frome portion thereof, the same being apertured at 62, concentric with the aperture, and-projecting outwardly from this frame portion is the collar portion 63. This collar portion has an arcuate groove 64 therein, theends 64a. and 64b of which constitute stops 'for'the pin 59 whichrides in the arcuate groove 64:

A pair of lock nuts 65 suitably secure the arm structures in pivoted relation upon 'the frame portions I la of the back section of thebed structure and the groove ends GAaand 64b limit the tilting of the arms so that in theeventof excessive pressure application or failure of pressure application the sanitary "device canv not-over travelin either the clockwise or counter-clockwise directions.

When the drawing (see Fig.2) is tilted counter-clockwise it will be observed that the sanitary device is inverted -with-respect to its position shown in Fig.1 anditserves asa head stop or head board for the resulting-bed structure. Furthermore; in this position-it is entirely out of the way so that the patient may be placed in the chair or get into it 'and out' of it'or; if bed parts are arranged in 1 bed position; the patient may readily be transferred from a travelling cart or litter to the bedstructur'e without interference from said-sanitary device.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the--drawings --andforegoing description," the same -is to "be con-- sidered as illust-rativeand notrestrictive in character.

The invention claimed is:

1. 'In a chair type, multi-s ectioned'bed including a seat supporting frame having a width at" back section, and means atopposite sides'of'said back section and said structureforfl pivotally supporting said structure-upon said back section, said structure being disposable in foot'boa rd" relation to the back" and head sections whenaligned;

2. Ina bed as defined by claim 1, power-means for tilting said last mentioned means; and stop means limiting theextent of tiltingmovement of the structure.

3. In a chair type; multi-sectioned bed having a back section disposable in bedand chairback forming positions and a "structure of approximatelythe width of'said'bed' disposed transversely of said --back section; {the combina-' tion therewith of "a paircof"longitudinally ex} tensible arms disposed-at oppositesides ofsaidsection and each being secured at one end to REFERENCES CITED said structure, means pivotally mounting the other ends of said arms upon said back section g g fi fi are of record m the intermediate the ends thereof, each of the last mentioned ends including an extension project- 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ing beyond the pivotal axis of said ends, and Number Name t U-shaped means connecting said extensions to- 274,392 Sargent Man 2 3 gether- 727,467 Sennett May 5, 1903 4. In a bed as defined by claim 3, power means 33 937 w t 17, 1931 secured to the back section and connected to 10 2 15 257 ma M51326, 1938 said extensions for power movement of the arms and the structure and stop means limiting tilt- FOREIGN PATENTS ing movement of said structure. Number Country Date 5. A bed as defined by claim 4 wherein the 407,014 Germany Nov. 14, 1922 stop means and the arm pivotal mounting means 15 are unitary.

ROBERT E. FREUND. 

